


The Last Step

by Bayermund



Category: Football RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Assassins, Corruption, M/M, Minor Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-09
Updated: 2016-08-13
Packaged: 2018-07-22 15:01:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7443607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bayermund/pseuds/Bayermund
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mats Hummels is an assassin hired to kill Mark Höwedes, an immensely successful, but corrupt and conniving businessman. His orders are to finish the job as quickly as possible, kill any witnesses, and flee the scene. </p>
<p>He doesn't expect to meet Benedikt.</p>
<p>(Soulmate AU where there is a countdown on your wrist for the number of steps you have to take again until you meet your soulmate.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

  * For [unicorn_dust](https://archiveofourown.org/users/unicorn_dust/gifts), [Fearlesskiki](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fearlesskiki/gifts).



> So I was scrolling through tumblr and I saw an otp prompt where it said something about people having these timers/countdowns on their wrists for the number of steps that they had to take until they meet their soulmate. One of the ideas was that what if someone draws their weapon on another person and their timer went to 0 and disappeared. I kind of just took that and allowed my brain to run with it, and well, here we are. Sorry that I couldn't find the original prompt to link it here.

Mats paused for a moment to think about how  ** _absolutely ridiculous_** this mission was as he lugged the plastic cooler out of the small boat and onto the warm, white sand. Despite being filled with ice, the thing still reeked of fish and Mats wrinkled his nose in displeasure at the odour. He shifted the straw hat on his head and wiped his sweaty brow before checking that his knives were still strapped to his hip, under his old khakis. _'What a stupid old man,'_ Mats thought as he began his walk up to the extravagant mansion that was nestled amongst the trees that seemed to cover the entire island. _'Only a rich, oblivious millionaire would buy a private island in Belize and vacation there all alone,'_ he huffed as he continued carrying the stinking cooler of fish.

His eyes flitted over the expensive leather band that covered his countdown on his left wrist, and he hoped that the old man would not notice how out of place such a band would be for a fisherman. It hardly mattered though, as Mats only needed to get into the house and set the cooler down before he quickly finished off the man. "Mark Höwedes," he murmured, the name leaving a nasty taste in his mouth. After his extensive research about the millionaire businessman, Mats had come to dislike just the thought of such a man that was so corrupt and conniving. He knew that he was in no position to judge anyone else's morals, given that he was literally an assassin, but at least he didn't take pleasure in destroying people's lives like Höwedes did. 

He steeled himself and exhaled as he used the heavy knocker to rapidly bang on the large door. He heard a faint shout emanate from somewhere in the mansion, so he released the knocker and forced his facial features into a friendly expression. The door opened and there he was - an average height, greying man, with wrinkles around his mouth and cold green eyes. "Buenos días. I bring fish!" Mats smiled widely, lifting the cooler, and doing his best to maintain a Spanish tinged accent. Höwedes frowned and asked rather suspiciously, "What happened to the other fisherman?" Mats beamed and lifted the cooler again, "I bring fish, Señor." Höwedes rolled his eyes at the apparent incompetence of the 'fisherman' and stepped aside to allow Mats entry into the house. 

Mats quickly scanned the room for security cameras as he followed Höwedes to the kitchen; he was not surprised when he found none, as the man seemed completely unconcerned about his own safety. He set the cooler down on the floor and quickly placed his hand on the hilt of his longest, sharpest knife. Höwedes' back was to him, as the older man was rummaging in the cupboard for another freezer bag in which to store the fish. Mats silently walked up behind the man and drew his knife. He quickly and efficiently stabbed Höwedes through the side of his neck, twisting the blade up sharply as its tip exited the other side of the man's neck. Mats hurriedly withdrew the knife as Höwedes gurgled and fell to the floor. He took one last look at the man and turned on his heel, breathing deeply and walking briskly out of the room. 

Mats didn't ever think that it was possible to feel so many emotions in the space of a few seconds, but as he turned the corner from the dining room to the foyer, his gut clenched and his mouth fell open in shock. There, in front of him, stood a young man - a boy. Yes,  _a boy._ As far as Mats' knowledge had gone, he had thought that he and Höwedes were the only two people on the island, but, apparently not. The man was obviously younger than Mats, probably barely in his early twenties, and, putting two and two together, Mats guessed that this was Mark's only son, Benedikt Höwedes. Benedikt looked from Mats' face, to the bloody knife, and back to Mats' face, hazel eyes widened in a mixture of shock and fear. "I...w-what...I..." stammered the younger man, mouth agape as his hands shook as he held them up in attempt to surrender. 

Mats sighed as his eyes roamed the physique and attractive features of the young man; it would be a real shame to kill such a stunning and innocent looking creature. He took a step forward, too focused on how painlessly he could kill the boy, to acknowledge the sharp  **zing** that his left wrist gave. He was only broken out of his trance when the boy winced and took a sharp intake of breath, looking at his own wrist in alarm. Despite himself, Mats looked on in concern as the boy's eyes filled with utter panic and he began turning his wrists frantically, seemingly searching for something.

Mats began to get a bit scared himself when the boy started crying and pressed his face to his palms. "What's wrong....?" ventured Mats, stepping a bit closer to the younger man. Mats looked at his wrist in horror as it  **zinged** again. He quickly pulled off his leather band as the boy cradled his own left hand and cried more. "Oh fuck," was all Mats could say, as he took a good look at both of his wrists. His left wrist was completely bare, and now looked just like his right wrist always had. His countdown was gone; the black numbers had completely vanished, and his left wrist was now throbbing faintly. And, judging from the soft sobs coming from the younger man, it seemed like Benedikt was experiencing the exact same thing. 


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! I'm a bit blown away by the positive feedback that this fic has received so far! Also, I'm having way too much fun writing this, so updates should be very frequent, and thus, I may end up writing more than four chapters. We'll see. I'm really glad that the first chapter was well liked, and I hope that everyone is ready as we get into the meat of the plot. 
> 
> In case some people are confused by the pain that they are both feeling as they step closer and away from each other: (in this universe) when you meet your soulmate and your countdown disappears, if you refuse to acknowledge or 'seal' the bond, your wrist hurts and the pain increases over time.

"Let me see your wrist," Mats commanded, frowning slightly at Benedikt, who was still cradling his wrist to his chest. Benedikt closed his eyes and shook his head from side to side; "No," he sniffed. Mats took another step forward, wincing as his wrist throbbed painfully, and sighing as Benedikt gripped his own wrist in pain. "It's for your own good. And if that's not enough to convince you to cooperate, then I will just do it myself," Mats stated calmly. Benedikt's eyes widened and he took a few steps back, resulting in them both hissing in pain. "Okay that's it. I don't know if you enjoy having your wrist feel like it's gonna fuckin explode, but I certainly don't. This pain is distracting and I need a clear head to figure out how to cope with this whole situation. So hold out your hand and show me your wrist," Mats' lips twitched slightly in annoyance as he tried to reason with the younger man. 

After realising that Benedikt was just going to stand there and stubbornly cradle his arm, Mats decided to take matters into his own hands. _Literally_. He reached forward and firmly pulled Benedikt's arm, not nearly hard enough to bruise, but firmly enough that Benedikt knew that he was being serious. He stared at the blank wrist for a moment before taking a deep breath, "Well...here goes nothing." Mats firmly pressed his wrist against Benedikt's, ignoring the boy's pleas and attempts to pull his arm from his grip. They both went still as their wrists grew warm against each other's, and Mats' eyes widened in surprise as the warmth seemed to spread from his wrist throughout his entire body. A small smile graced his lips as his typically unfeeling heart burned with something akin to care and concern for the boy in front of him. Mats forced his face back into its usual blank mask as Benedikt looked up at him with a soft smile, and tenderness shining in his eyes. It wouldn't do for the boy to see that the bond had instantly taken root in him as well. He slowly pulled his wrist back as the warmth of the initiated bond began to fade, and stared at it. There it was; he had met his soulmate and was now soulbonded to another person for the rest of his life. His eyes followed the simple, thin black bar that lay tattooed horizontally across his wrist, and flitted to Benedikt's wrist to confirm that yes, the bar was there too. 

"Well. That's that. Thankfully it got rid of that annoying pain," Mats stated conversationally, leaning his elbow against the wall and staring at Benedikt. Benedikt's face flushed in what Mats assumed was anger. "That's that!??! That's  _that_!? You just met me, your soulmate, and bonded your soul to mine! And all you care about is that the stupid pain is gone!? Do you even  _care_ that you've found me? We don't even know each other's names! Do you even know what it feels like to care!? Do you know how special finding your soulmate and bonding with them is!? You did it so brutishly! All my life I've dreamed about-" Benedikt stopped as a quiet sob escaped his mouth.

He turned away from Mats and put his head in his hands as he began to cry again. Mats stepped forward and hesitantly raised his hand to place it on Benedikt's shaking shoulders, but withdrew it after he realised that he was about to show affection. "I do know your name, by the way. It's Benedikt. Benedikt Höwedes. And maybe you've guessed by now, but I'm Mats Hummels, your soulmate and father's assassin." The only indication that Benedikt had heard Mats' words was the slight stiffening of his back and shoulders. Benedikt did not turn to look at Mats, and started walking up the impressive staircase, pausing halfway to murmur something softly. If Mats were anything but a trained assassin, he would have been unable to hear one word of what Benedikt had said. "I am going to gather a few of my things quickly. We need to leave here as soon as possible," stated the soft spoken man. "At least we can agree on one thing," Mats called after him dazedly, eyes glued to Benedikt's retreating form. 

 

****

Mats would be lying if he said that he wasn't tired. It had taken them 35 minutes to get from the island and back to the mainland, where Mats used a public washroom to quickly change from his fisherman's attire to clothes more suited to a tourist. Eyes shielded from the sun by large sunglasses, faces and arms slathered in sunscreen cream, and decked out in light shirts and tropical boardshorts, the two men certainly looked the part of tourists on vacation.  Neither of them said anything to the other on the walk from the beach to Mats' hotel, even as Mats graciously relieved Benedikt of his large duffel bag a few minutes into their 15 minute walk. The first thing Mats did, when they got back to the hotel room, was to fall face-first onto the cool, white cotton sheets of the king sized bed, and, in a rare burst of emotion, scream into the sheets and mattress.

Benedikt sat on the edge of the bed and cautiously touched his fingertips to Mats' shoulder. "I...I don't know what to say to help you. This really is an insane situation and I'm sorry if our meeting has complicated things for you..." Benedikt trailed off and paused before adding, "If you want, I can book my own hotel room and try to find a flight to London and then to Germany. I'm sure you didn't cater at all for another person. I mean do assassins ever cater for other people? Like, do you even have friends? Or at least acquaintances? I mean you must - " Benedikt snapped his mouth shut and twisted his mouth in a wry smile, "I really am not helping, am I?" he asked. Mats rolled over so that he was on his back and looking up at Benedikt. To Benedikt's surprise, Mats was gently smiling, and his deep brown eyes that had seemed emotionless and shallow just a few minutes prior, now shone with warmth and a bit of amusement. "No, you're _really_ not helping. At all," Mats admitted, eyes finding Benedikt's. The two of them stared silently at each other for a moment, before bursting into soft chuckles.

Mats patted the expanse of space beside him and reached onto the bedside table for his laptop, "Come on, take a seat, Benedikt. We have to look to see if any of tomorrow's flights are still available." Benedikt obeyed and gingerly sat next to Mats, ensuring that he didn't touch the older man in any way. "Did you already have a flight booked? Can't you just see if they have room for another passenger on that flight?" Benedikt asked, oblivious to the look Mats was giving him. Mats cleared his throat and shook his head as he began typing speedily into the browser's search bar. "A private jet was arranged to collect me on Thursday. I was going to stay for a couple extra days to avoid any suspicion. But we have to leave long before that jet and its aircrew arrive," he paused and looked across at Benedikt, his voice laced with desperation, "They cannot find out about you, Benedikt. They _can't_ , okay? You don't know what they're like. They must not find out about you...about  _us_ , no matter what." Benedikt swallowed and nodded, heart rate increasing partly in fear, and partly because Mats seemed so desperate to protect him from his dangerous colleagues. Benedikt slowly shifted closer to Mats until their legs were pressed against each other's, causing Mats to give him a sideways glance. Benedikt looked down at his lap as a light blush dusted across the tops of his cheeks. Mats' lips were twisted in a small smirk that made Benedikt confused about whether he wanted to kiss Mats, or punch him in the face.

Mats shook his head and fought the urge to smile, pointing instead at the laptop screen, "Look, there are a few first class seats still available for both the 06:00 and 11:00 flights." Benedikt bit his lip and frowned, ""Would it be okay to take the one at 06:00? That way people would be less likely to see us or recognise me. I mean disguise or not, you can never be too safe, right?" Mats arched an eyebrow, even as he entered his card details and proceeded to purchase two seats for the 06:00 flight. "Disguise? Why would you need to wear a disguise? I highly doubt that people are going to be on the hunt for you, especially as you're still supposed to be in university," Mats stated matter-of-factly. Benedikt shifted uncomfortably and mumbled, "My father was never fond of me. He actually really, _really_ , doesn't like me..." Mats pursed his lips and folded his hands, "Benedikt...I don't mean to be harsh but, um, your father, uh, he's, well, he's _dead_. He literally can't get to you anymore, nor can he send anyone after you." Benedikt took a shaky breath and chewed on his lip, "Mats..." he started quietly, "I really don't know how to say this." Benedikt ran his palm down his face and took an even shakier breath, "Mats, the man you killed...the man you killed was not my father. My father is still very much **alive**."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be honest, I don't really like how this chapter turned out, but I feel like it is necessary in its contribution towards the entire plot. I hope that you didn't hate it too much, or that you hopefully like a couple things in it. Also, even though I changed the total number of chapters from 4 to 6, I still think that this fic might need some more room to develop, and could possibly end up being even longer than 6 chapters.
> 
> Aside from that, thank you so much for reading, and if you have any suggestions/criticism/questions be sure to leave a comment or message me on tumblr: http://bayermund.tumblr.com/


	3. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry that this update took so long! Hopefully I should be back to my writing vigour prior to this chapter! I'm also terribly sorry for the short length of this, but I typed this up somewhere halfway along my flight from Gatwick to JFK. The next chapter should be exciting, and I hope that it makes up for this one, as 2 new characters will be introduced!

Mats was scared.  _Terrified_ , actually. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt fear so pure in his heart and gut; it was probably when he was only fifteen years old and he was still an apprentice. He vaguely remembered that he had accompanied his superior on what was supposed to be an easy job, and had to keep himself from passing out for the entirety of the mission. Now, he almost felt the same way, except this time, the majority of his fear was not for himself and his own wellbeing.

He calmly closed the laptop, took a deep breath, and turned to face Benedikt. "Benedikt...what are you  _saying_? How could I have killed the wrong man!!?!? I know what your father looks like! I did my research!" Mats exclaimed, desperation creeping into his voice as the reality of the situation dawned in his brain. Benedikt folded his palms in his lap and began speaking calmly and quietly, "You could never fathom the amount of corruption that exists in the business industry. Old businessmen that you think are easy targets? They're not. They've anticipated your every move and at any given moment they're braced for an attack," Benedikt paused and took a deep breath, and, for the first time, Mats saw the pure steel and strength in the young man, and wondered what exactly he had endured throughout his short life thus far. Mats pinched the bridge of his nose and began rapidly firing questions at Benedikt, "Alright....would you like to tell me who exactly I killed, then? If it's not your father? Also if your father anticipated an attack, then what were you doing on the island!? Wouldn't he want to protect his only child at all costs?"

Benedikt could tell that Mats was trying to keep his voice level and void of emotion, but he could hear his underlying fear. "Alright, first of all, you need to stop panicking. I can see it in your eyes. Secondly, I can't tell you who that man truly was, because I don't even know. All I know is that my father somehow blackmailed the man into undergoing surgery and becoming his very own doppelganger. And I told you before that my father isn't fond of me, to say the least. I don't want to talk about it, but let's just say that he assumed that if anyone came for his doppelganger, they would off me as well." Mats gaped at Benedikt; surely the younger man was joking! Mats hadn't gotten the opportunity to spend much of his life with his parents, as they had died in a car crash when he was only 8 years old, but he would always remember the undying warmth and comfort of a parent's love. How anyone could ever want deliberate harm to come to their own child completely baffled Mats. Once again, he was reminded of the stark difference between his values and his profession, as he had been hired by numerous people to assassinate their own children in the past.

"Benni....I know that your father might be very corrupt, but I highly doubt that he would put you in a position to be killed!" Mats exclaimed, momentarily hoping that Benedikt would not realise that he had called him by his nickname. Benedikt just sighed and cracked his knuckles, murmuring, "Please Mats. I really don't want to talk about it. Just leave it....please..." Mats stared at him for a good moment before nodding once, "Okay. Alright, okay. Well, as things are as of now, neither of us can return to Germany. I completely failed a mission, and your father seems to be out to get you. So we need to go where no one would think to look for us - England."

Benni's eyes widened and he mused, "Why would we go so close to Germany?? Shouldn't we go somewhere random like Asia or Hawaii?" Mats gave Benedikt a rare grin and  responded, "No, because that's exactly where they'll look for us. Hiding in plain sight works, trust me Benni." Benedikt looked at Mats with a small, teasing smile, "Benni, huh? You seem to be fond of calling me that." Mats flushed very lightly and cleared his throat, ignoring Benedikt's comment and murmuring gruffly, "Come on, we've got to rearrange our booking and transport to the airport." 

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I just wanted to say thanks for reading this and I hope that you like it so far. I'm all ears for any suggestions/constructive criticism/feedback. This is my first public fic with these pairings, so I hope it is well received. Also, if you wanted, you could find me on tumblr under the same username :) I'd love to have a chat!


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